Gift cards are restricted monetary equivalents issued by retailers or banks that consumers can use as an alternative to currency for purchasing goods, services, etc. While gift cards rank as one of the most popular gifts given by consumers in the United States, a large percentage of gift cards go unused or expire each year, resulting in significant annual breakage (i.e., unused gift card value).
Various methods have been proposed to reduce breakage. Some web sites, for example, provide consumers with the ability to auction unwanted gift cards. Other websites provide consumers with the ability to exchange unwanted gift cards for cash through the mail. The current options for exchanging gift cards, however, can appear complex and/or time consuming to consumers. Additionally, gift cards that have been taken in an exchange may be difficult to resell, leading to further breakage. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide consumers with a relatively easy way to exchange unwanted gift cards for other forms of value and avoid breakage.